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Factories Revive Economy

Manufacturing Expands Globally, But U.S. Producers Remain Reluctant to Hire

By

Sudeep Reddy in Washington,

Marcus Walker in Berlin and

Andrew Batson in Beijing

Updated April 2, 2010 12:01 a.m. ET

Factories around the world are ratcheting up production, fueling optimism that the global economic recovery has legs.

The U.S. manufacturing index in March registered its best reading since 2004, and China's manufacturing sector grew for the 13th straight month. Most euro-zone nations also have seen strong factory expansion, with Germany last month posting its best manufacturing growth in a decade. Only Greece, which is struggling with debt problems, contracted.